Cool Store: Spencer and Daniel’s

I find this an interesting store. It is basically a mixed grocery, liquor and wine discount store. What is interesting is how far they go. I have shopped here once eons ago but nosed around the store many times over time. Once I was in the back looking things over and I turned around to find boxes of Chilean Malbec stacked up right behind me. That is nothing new. They were priced $1.99 each. I almost grabbed a bottle but then was embarrassed to actually take it up and buy it. Then again curiousity was killeding me. I had bought California Cab Sauv for $3.99 before and found it extremely drinkable. They say the lowest priced items on the wine list never sell because of the stigma attached to it. This is another case. It is up to you to check it and tell me if the super-cheap stuff is really drinkable or not. How much do they make on a $1.99 bottle??

Cool Stores: AG Ferrari

AG Ferrari is an okay Italian retail food blah blah. The quality of their stuff is okay. What I particularly find interesting is they have everything it takes to have a wine-bar operation going at the same time. It may be ad hoc but definitely competitive. They have probably 30 cheeses of good selection and quality. The charcuterie and picked items are tops and ready to go. Their wines are weak since retail volume purchases but can do sort of matching with some cheese and meat. And viola those empty chairs and tables inside and outside can be packed a few hours daily by casual wine bar patrons. They have to fix the lighting however or the brightness of retail lights scare everyone away.

Cool Restaurant: Bamboo on Polk

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Originally uploaded by kd5938

I have eaten here for years and nothing has ever changed. The interior is awesome and rarely full. I used to ponder how they survive till I found out most of the bargain restaurants in the area depend on to-go business. The food is very good for the price with good presentation and their lunch deals menu kicks ass. Most significantly, this is one of the few cheap restaurants I know in SF that have good food, good decor (atmosphere) and a tiny but good wine list. The wine prices parallel the food prices which is great and though the selection is very limited it is far greater than cheap restaurants with fake wine selections list and actually has some flexibility to match some food. P.S. I haven’t been here for a while but the wine list has been there everytime I went there.